Cable television executives are clearly feeling the heat coming from Washington on the indecency issue. In response, the National Cable & Telecommunications Association last week announced a new industry initiative to educate the public about ways to control the programming that comes into their homes.

“The cable industry takes seriously your challenge and its responsibility to help protect children from indecent and unnecessarily violent TV programming,” said NCTA President and CEO Robert Sachs in a letter to Federal Communications Commission Chairman Michael Powell.

As part of the new campaign, NCTA said, it will launch a new Web site April 1 to serve as a “clearinghouse” for information about responsible viewing, including use of technology that allows viewers to block certain channels.

NCTA also said the industry is developing a series of public service announcements and bill stuffers on the same themes. In addition, NCTA said the industry’s Cable in the Classroom and the National PTA will conduct workshops around the country for parents, “which will address concerns about the exposure of children to inappropriate content on television.”